1. U.S. Political Parties

2. Political Parties Political parties provide a key role in government and provide opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process.

3. Why do we have political parties? Recruit and nominate candidates Educate the electorate about issues Help candidates win elections Monitor actions of office holders (watch dog) Electorate: everyone that is qualified to vote

4. How many political parties do we have? Republicans Democrats Third Parties Why are we called a two-party system? http://www.270towin.com/

5. Third Parties Rarely win elections, however they play an important role in public policies Introduce new ideas or press for a particular issue Often revolve around a political personality Teddy Roosevelt Bull Moose Party

6. Being Independent Ex: Green Party – environmentalism and social justice Constitution Party – restore gov’t to constitutional limit and law to Biblical foundations Libertarian Party – less regulated markets, strong civil liberties, non- interventionism

7. Party Similarities Organize to win elections Influence public policies Reflect both liberal & conservative views Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center

9. Party Differences Stated in a party’s platform and reflected in campaigning